The universe is full of magical things, patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper. - Eden Phillpotts

Saturday, 6 September 2008

Focus On: Bigfoot

Bigfoot, or Sasquatch, is a source of mirth and disapproval among many in the scientific community. This would be bearable if this was not added to by the large amount of false reports and outright hoaxes attached to the Bigfoot legend. The most recent Dyer and Whitton hoax only goes to show the sort of misdirection people are prepared to throw in the way of serious investigation for their own personal gain.

But the case for the existence of Bigfoot is compelling, even if we are far from proving it. Stories from across North America show a high level of consistency in the detail. Now of course the description of Bigfoot is well known across the world and it's not inconceivable that people are lying. But the quantity of quality stories means that at least a few are seeing something. What that something is, now that is the real question. Is it misidentification of other animals such as beers, moose etc.? Or is it that there is some form of giant ape like creature roaming the forests of the North American continent?

I've got a couple of favourite stories when it comes to the Bigfoot. One is a Sasquatch story from early on in the 20th Century and is quite famous: Ruby Creek. This is one of the few Bigfoot stories that actually left me feeling a little creeped out. But I've always had a terror of anything peering inside windows. This story, if true, certainly shows that Bigfoot is an animal and has it's own agenda. Some stories paint the Bigfoot as a passive creature without emotion. An observer. This story makes a mockery of that concept.

The other story I quite like is actually very banal. It's just a normal sighting from King County, Washington, USA. But the detail of the creature is great. Again the natural actions of the creature gives this story a grain of truth.

So what do you think? Do you think there's a creature out there that hasn't been discovered? Or is it just a bunch of stupid people, mistaken people and liars making the whole thing up?